Refrigerating apparatus



June 25, 1929. w. F. swEzEY REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed June 30, 1926 ntnq g'rvventov In], atto'zwu b,

Patented June 25, 1929.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM F. SWEZEY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, FRIGIDAIRE CORPORATION, A

ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

Applicationiflled June 30,

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus, and particularly to-the construction of cabinets for commercial use, which are commonly known as ice-cream cabinets.

The cabinet construction in present use is composed, generally, of an insulated cabinet containing a brine tank in which is submerged a receptacle, or sleeve, of various shapes, adaptedto contain ice cream or any other substance which it is desired to cool. These cabinets are provided'with a top hav ing an opening to permit access to the aforementioned sleeve, and a cover is provided to close this opening. It is the practice to space the upper edge of the cabinet top a considerable distance above the top of the brine tank and to support the cover by a gasket, or other similar means, which is carried by the cover and rests on the upper edge of the top of the cabinet. Such a construction is shown in the copending application of Jesse Gr. King, Serial No. 86,586, filed February 6, 1926. This construction, however, provides a seal between theoutside air and the interior of the cabinet, at only one place, namely, where the cover is supported by the cabinet top and, consequently, there is a large, free air space left surrounding the cover and the upper part of the food container. This space permits a free circulation of air about the upper part of the food container and as this air, due to leakage past the cover through the single seal, is warmer than the cooling means surrounding the lower part of the food container, it has a tendency to soften substances in the food container, which is, in itself, a very objectionable feature of the present type of cabinet construction.

It is an object ly seal the food compartment against the entrance of Warm air thereto, and to prevent any interchange of temperature between the ink side and the outside of the cabinet.

' It is a further object to provide the food container with a closed metallic casing, which is adapted to maintain a uniform temperature throughout the entire container and to effectually seal the same against the influence of external temperatures. The desired results are accomplished in the following mum of thisinvention to eifectual- 1926. Serial No. 119,715.

ner: The sleeve which receives the food container, and which is almost entirely immersed in the brine tank, is allowed to project a short distance above the top of the tank. The

cover for the opening in the cabinet top is provided with a recess and in this recess is placed a plate of metal, or other heat-conducting material. The lower side of the outer periphery of the cover is provided with a suitable sealing means, such as a gasket of rubber, fabric, or other yieldable material; and the outer pe riphery of the upper side is, likewise, provided with a similar seal. The recess provided in the lower side of the cover is made of slightly greater diameter than that of the upwardly-projecting part of the sleeve, so that, when the lid is set in place, the metallic plate provided in the recess. will contact with the upwardly-projecting portion of the sleeve. The sealing means carried by the lower side of the cover will then rest on the upper side of the brine tank surrounding theupper end of the sleeve and the seal carried b the upper side of the cover will rest on top 0 the cabinet.

By this construction the sleeve and the food container carried thereby are both sealed and insulated against the influence of temperatures external to the cabinet, while at the same time the heat-conducting plate carried in the recess provides an effectual means for transferring any heat from the top of the sleeve surrounding the upper part of the food container to the remaining walls of the sleeve where it is absorbed by the cold brine.

Referring to the drawings, where there is shown a specific embodimentof a means by which the above-described result may be accomplished, Fig.1is a vertical section through the refrigerating cabinet, including the cover; and I Fig. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale, showing details of the cover construction.

10 designates, generally, an insulated refrigerating cabinet which contains suitable cooling means, such as a brine tank 11. Within the brine tank is inserted a pluralityof heat-conducting sleeves, one of which is shown at 12. Each sleeve is provided with a portion 13 which projects above the top 14 of the brine tank. The cabinet has a top vides a support for a purposeto be described? The details of the cabinet construction are fully described in the copending application of Jesse G. King, mentioned above.

The sleeve 12 ma be provided at its up- 1 per end with an ad itional, shorter sleeve 19 which extends upwardly and is lapped over, the upwardly-projecting portion 13 of sleeve 12. The.second sleeve 19 is provided to protect the upper end ofthe first sleeve against injury by the insertion and removaL of the food container, which is shown at 20. If this sleeve should be damaged, it can be readily removed and replaced.-

A cover 21 for the opening 16 may be made of any desired material, but is here shown 4 as composed of an annulus 22 provided at its lower side with a recess 23. In this recessfits a cup-shaped plate 24 which may bed metal or other heat-conducting material. The top of the cover is provided with a metal plate 25 and the space between the plates is filled with a suitable insulating means, such as corkboard 26. -The plates are spaced, one

from the other, at the middle portions thereof by a suitable spacing block 27, through which passes a screw or bolt 28 which extends into a handle 29. The upper side of the annulus 22 is provided at its periphery with a groove 30 which receives a suitable sealing gasket 31. This gasket projects beyond the periphery of the annulus and is adapted to rest on the sealing ring 18 when the cover is in position. The gasket 31 is held in place by the spring action of the top metalplate 25.

The lower surface of the annulus 22 is provided at its periphery with a sealing gasket 32 which may be fastened thereto by suitable means, such as screws 33.. This sealing gasket isadapted to rest on the top 14 of the brine tank cover when inserted in the opening 16.

It will thus be seenthat when the cover 21 is placed in position to close the opening 16, the sealing gasket 32 will rest on' the'brine tank around the upwardly-projecting portion 13 of the sleeve 12, the metallic plate 24, carried in the .recess in the cover will make contact with the aforementioned sleeve and the seal 31 will rest on the spring-ring 18. Thereby the opening 16 is sealed. in two places, the upper end of the sleeve 12 is efiectually insulated against outside temperature conditions, while at the same time the conducting plate 24 and the sleeve 12 form a closed metallic chamber which will have a uniform temperature throughout its entire surface.

While'the form of embodiment of the inliquid, an insulated top for said cabinet hav ing an opening in alignment with said sleeve a unitary, cover for said ice cream compart ment and for said opening, said cover includ' ing a metal plate adaptedto fit on the sidi wall of said sleeve and to extend across tht sleeve, said cover also including an insulated portion for sealing said opening in said top and means for removing said cover as a uni1 from its normal position in said cabinet.

2. A cabinet comprising a tank for refrigerating liquid, a compartment in said tank including a metal sleeve adapted to extend intc and above said liquid, a top for said cabinei having an opening in alignment with said sleeve, a cover for said compartment and for said opening, said cover including a meta: plate on the under side thereof having metal lic thermal contact with the sleeve, sald cove: also including an insulated portion for sealing said opening in said top.

3. An ice cream cabinet comprising a refrigerated metallic sleeve forming an ice cream compartment, an insulated top for said cabinet having an opening in alignment with said sleeve, a unitary cover for said ice cream compartment and for said opening, said cover including a metal plate adapted to fit on the side wall of said sleeve and to extend across the sleeve, said cover also including an insulated'portion for sealing said opening in said top, and means for removing said cover as a unit from its normal position in said cabinet.

4. An ice cream cabinet comprising a tank for refrigerating liquid, an ice cream compartment in said tank including a metal sleeve adapted to extend into and above said liquid, an insulated top for said cabinet having an opening in alignment with said sleeve, a tank sub-cover extendin' radially inward from the periphery of said opening to said sleeve, a unitary cover for said ice cream compartment and for said opening, said cover including a metal plate adapted to fit on the side wall of said sleeve and to extend across the sleeve, said cover also including an insulated portion for sealing said opening in said top, and including a seal adapted to fit around said sleeve substantially to said sub-cover to insulate the top of said sleeve, and means for removing said cover as a unit from its normal position insaid cab'net. g p

5. A cabinet 0 prising a tank for refrigerating liquid, a compartment in said tank including a metal sleeve adapted to extend into and above said liquid, :1 top for said cabinet having an opening in alignment with said sleeve, a cover for said compartment and for said opening, adapted to seal the airin said sleeve and including a metal plate having contact with the air in said sleeve and refrigerated by metallic thermal connection with the refrigerating liquid adjacent to said In testimon nature.

y whereof I hereto affix my sig- WILLIAM F. SWEZEY. 

